Washington's Heather Mills causes a stir with campaign outside meeting of world leaders
Wearside model turned campaigner and vegan entrepreneur Heather Mills caused a stir as world leaders attendance an international conference in Germany.
Ms Mills, 56, who grew up in Washington before finding worldwide fame, joined more than a dozen climate activists for an impromptu protest right inside the dining hall at the Bonn Climate Conference in Germany.
The former Usworth Comprehensive pupil was seen leading protest chants, calling out, “If you care about the climate, eat vegan for your lunch” and “Food system change now, sign the Plant Based Treaty.”
Responding directly to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres’ special address on climate action for World Environment Day, Ms Mills said: “(He) gave a great speech yesterday - but why is he not talking about the real issue; production of meat, fish and dairy which like fossil fuels is a huge contributor of CO2, it’s bigger than the whole transport sector?”
Ms Mills is part of a delegation of climate campaigners who have come to the Bonn Conference to call for individual action, together with implementation of plant-based climate initiatives by cities and a global Plant Based Treaty to address the devastating impact of meat and dairy on the planet and shift to a plant-based food system.
She said: “Everyone can make a massive difference right now, just by choosing to eat vegan. It’s proven to be better for the planet, for the animals and it’s better for our health. Climate Conferences like Bonn and the upcoming COP29 can do better, by serving only plant-based food. They should be showcasing the very best in sustainability.”
Lia Phillips, Plant Based Treaty UK city campaigner, said: “We’ve had almost 30 years of COPs and we are waiting for a global agreement on the food system.
“Plant Based Treaty has presented a pathway that world leaders could attach to the Paris Agreement. The science says that even if we ended fossil fuels we are destined for a climate catastrophe if we don’t transform the food system.
“We need to do this now. A plant-based food system would be Paris aligned as well as address pressing issues like food insecurity, biodiversity loss, food related disease and the risk of pandemics.”
Ms Mills, an ex-wife of Paul McCartney, bought her VBites vegan food company out of administration using her own cash in January 2024.
The company went into administration in 2023, having ran into difficulties amid rising energy prices and raw material costs.
Ms Mills had bought the former Walkers crisp factory in Peterlee's North West Industrial Estate in 2018 from which to operate the company.
Ms Mills, who is also Paralympic ski racer and holds the world record for being fastest disabled speed skier, is passionate about animal rights and the role of plant-based foods in helping tackle climate change.
VBites exports to over 24 countries worldwide, it generates global and online sales with over 130 meat-free, fish-free and dairy-free products in its range ‘to leave no excuse for people not to go plant-based’.
The Plant Based Treaty campaigners are calling for a global agreement that aligns the food system to the Paris Agreement, along with the implementation of best practices in plant-based food policy at the city and institutional level.
Plant Based Treaty has been endorsed by 30 cities including Amsterdam, Edinburgh and Belfast, and has received support from 150,000 individual endorsers, five Nobel laureates, IPCC scientists, and more than 3000 groups and businesses, including Vbites, Ecotricity, Plant Based Health Professionals, UK Health Alliance on Climate Change, and chapters of Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth.
At COP28, Plant Based Treaty launched its Safe and Just Report, which assesses the impact of the food system on our planetary and social boundaries and the plant-based solutions required to bring the food system into a safe and just operating space for communities to thrive.